Auxiliary knitting needle



K. R. LIEBERKNECHT 7 1,941,903 AUXILIARY KNITTING NEEDLE Jan. '2, 1934.

Fild June 2a, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor l KarlRzcizeberk/zecht' byhis Aftorfiey 3 M H M K. R. EEEEEEEEEE HT 1,941,903 AUXILIARY KNITTINGNEEDLE OQOO . m/en or 4 Karl Rich. Lieberknechl' E by hzs AttorneyPatented Jan. 2, 1934 1,941,903 AUXILIARY KNITTING NEEDLE Karl Rich.Lieberknecht, Oberlungwitz,

many, assignor to Kalio Inc.,

acorporation of New York Application and in Germany February 9, 1933Claims.

In the manufacture of knitted fabrics a Wale of greater width thannormal is sometimes required. Such a wale may be formed by lengtheningthe proper loops in each course as compared 5 with the other loops whichwill result in a widening of the wale in which these longer loops occur.

This invention relates to a device for forming such longer loops andconsequent wider wales on flat knitting machines and since they areparticularly useful in fullfashioned hosiery its application to a fullfashioned flat hosiery knitting machine has been selected fordescriptive purposes. It will be understood however that it may beemployed in the knitting of other fabrics as well.

5 In the knitting of full fashioned hoisery it is customary to knit theleg of the stocking in normal length loops as far as the heel tabs.'Then the knitting of the instep portion is suspended and the heel tabsare knit. After that, if a single unit knitting machine is employed,knitting of the instep portion is resumed and the knitting of the footportion begun, the first course of the sole being ultimately joined tothe inside selvages If the knitting is performed on a legger and footer,the leg and foot portions are similarly joined when the foot is begun.In both instances to facilitate the joining of the sole to the insideselvages of theheel tabs it is of great advantage to form a Wale ofgreater than normal of the heel tabs.

width in each inside selvage of the heel tabs.

Heretofore to obtain The employment of the narrowing mechanism equippedwith special points has also been suggested but this involves radicalalterations in the narrowing mechanism and narrowing cams whichcomplicate and interfere-with the normal use and operation ofthemechanism.

may be easily,

usual attachments.

The device consists essentially of auxiliary needles which are broughtinto operative cooperation with the regular needles of the wales inquestion at the desired time so that, in effect, needles of extrathickness are provided around 5 which the loops are formed by the normalsinkersuch wales the general practice has been to stretch the selvageloops by means of a hand tool of bone or steel having'a pointed end.Attempts have also been made to do 35 this mechanically by means ofspecially designed sinkers, needles, or knockover bits or by modifyingthe motions of these parts of standard design.

Ger-

New York, N. Y.,

June 26, 1933, Serial No. 677,589,

ing operation. The loopsformed around these particular needles will belonger than the others,

not as the result of stretching normal length loops, but because desiredlength in these loops are formed of the the first place, obviously theabnormal strain is put upon the yarn or needles.

The accompanyingdrawings illustrate the nature of the extra width Waleand that form of the invention particularly adapted to form the wales onthe inside selvages of the heel tabs heretofore described. Of these-Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the leg and heel tab showing-by broken lines the position of the wide selvage Wale of the heel tabs;

portions of a stocking blank v Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a heel tabshowing conventionally the relative character of the wales in theseportions;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a section of the knitting machineprovided with the standard needles and also with the two auxiliaryneedles required for selvage Wales.

forming the two extra width It also illustrates the sinkers and themanner in which the loops are formed around the needles to secure thenormal and extra length loops by the normal sinkering' operation;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views through the needle bar showing theauxiliary needles and operating mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the needle bar showing the means ofoperatingthe auxiliary needles; and

Fig. '7 is a larger fragment of Fig. 6.

As most clearly shown in selvage Wale 1 of Fig. 2, the inside each heeltab is composed of long loops 4 which result in a wale of abnormalWidth. These are obtained by associating with the regular needles 2(Fig. 3) oflthesewales auxiliary needles 3 around which the long loops 4are formed by means of and concurrently with the formation of the normallength loops 5 by the sinkers 6 operated in the normal manner.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the needles and themode and means of operatingthem.

the end being shaped so that it can enter the lower end of a groove 8 ofthe regular needle just below the part provided for the beard, a portion9 substantially paralleling the regular needle 2,

a shank l0 sliding and a foot 12 bent in a channel in needle bar 11, atright angles to the shank 10.

' the auxiliary needles,

' bar.

ing wide wales in any suitable means so that its other end may be inFig. 4 or down as in Fig. into the, position of Fig. 4 pushed upwarduntil the end of groove 8 of regular needle 2. Portion 9 will then liesubstantially parallel to and close to-needle 2. When the sinkersadvance the loops will be formed around as shown at 4 in Fig. 4.Auxiliary needles 3 will be maintained in this position during theknitting of the courses'in which the wide wales are desired. When theseare completed return to normal length loops in these wales is effectedsimply by swinging lever caused to swing up as 5. When swung upauxiliary needle 3 is tip 7 enters the lower iliary needles 3 eratingposition.

By sliding rod 20 in the opposite directions cam surfaces 25 will permitends 17 of levers 14 to be: will move auxiliary neerocked downward whichdles 3 into operating position (Fig. 4). Positive contact between ends17 of levers 20 and sur faces 23 of cams 22-may be maintained bysuitable springs 24 bearing upon the tops of levers 14. As a convenientmeans 05 shifting rod 20 a hand rod 25 has been shown connected to rod20 by arms 26.

Of course other operating devices may be used. The shifting device shownis in general that employed to lock and unlock the swingable instepsection of the needlebar of a single unit machine, and sincevthisinvention is particularly useful with this machine this operatingmechanism has been selected for purposes of illustration. The manner inwhich such a shift rod may be employed to lock and unlock the instepsection of the needle bar is described in my copending applicationSerial No. 599,913, filed April 19, 1932. Ordinarily the use ofauxiliary needles 3 begins with the unlocking of the needle bar sectionso that by a single operation of rod 20 the instep needles may beunlocked'and the auxiliary needles 3 moved .into operating position andvice versa at the beginning and end, respectively, of the knitting ofthe heel tabs. However there is no necessity of combining the devicewith the needle bar lock or with a sectional needle It is as applicableto the usual solid needle bar.

The invention may, of course, be used for formpart of the stockingfabric bar provided with the usual an auxiliary loop-forming needleslidably mount- 1. In a flat knitting machine having a needle barprovided with the usual needles and sinkers, an auxiliary loop formingneedle slidably mounted on said needle bar behind a usual needle andmeans for sliding said auxiliary needle upward into loop formingposition 'and downward into an inoperative position.

2. In a flat knitting machine having a needle bar provided with theusual needles and sinkers, an auxiliary loop forming needle slidablymounted in said nnedle bar behind a usual needle, and means for slidingsaid needle upward and towards said usual needle to cause it to engagethe yarn when the sinkers advance to form the loops and for sliding saidneedle downward and away from the usual needle into an inoperativenon-loop-forming position.

3. In a flat knitting machine having a needle needles and sinkers,

ed on said needle bar behind said usual needle and having a pointadapted to enter the groove of the usual needle, and means for slidingsaid auxiliary needle so that the point engages with the groove of theusual needle and for removing said auxiliary needle into anon-contacting, inoperative position.

4. In a flat knitting machine, a needle bar with the usual needlesmounted thereon, a channel in said needle bar for the reception of anauxiliary needle, said channel lying behind a usual needle and slopingupwardly and forwardly, an auxiliary needle having a shank slidablymounted in said channel, an intermediate portion above said shanksubstantially parallel with the shank of the usual needle and a pointoffset from said intermediate portion and engageable with said usualneedle, and means for sliding said auxiliary needle upwardly andforwardly to engage its point with the regular needle above that partaround which the loops are formed and to slide it downwardly and awayfrom said usual needle into an inoperative position below the point atwhich the loops are formed.

5. In a flat knitting machine having a needle bar provided with theusual needles and sinkers, an auxiliary loop forming needle slidablymounted in said needle bar behind a usual needle, and means for slidingsaid needle upward and towards said usual needle to cause it to engagethe yarn when the sinkers advance to form the loops and for sliding saidneedle downward and away from the usual needle into an inoperativenon-loopforming position, said sliding means comprising of which engageswith means for rocking said lever.

KARL RICH. LIEBERKNECHT.

